Complete Schedule
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation (UNI Access Only)
Abstract
Individuals in low-income countries have limited to no access to mental health care within their communities. Many clinics have been shut down because of the lack of funding, which makes it difficult for students to find support for their mental health. Afghanistan especially has limited access to mental health care with a lack of qualified professionals, the effects of decades of war, gender-based restrictions, political instability, and overall does not acknowledge mental health as a whole. Due to these challenges and having limited treatment options, around 70% of college students in Afghanistan are experiencing academic struggles, social isolation, depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. However, unlike Afghanistan, other countries have begun to acknowledge mental health. For example, the United States has policies to improve access through federal funding and acts specific to mental healthcare access, but Afghanistan does not. The World Federation for Mental Health is just one non-profit organization that holds World Mental Health Day to advocate for global mental health. This paper aims to advocate for the acknowledgment of issues surrounding mental health in Afghanistan by exploring the discrepancies in access to mental healthcare in the United States.
Start Date
8-4-2025 11:00 AM
End Date
8-4-2025 11:50 AM
Faculty Advisor
Itunu Ilesanmi
Department
Department of Social Work
Department
Department of Psychology
Student Type
Undergraduate Student
Copyright
©2025 Kenzie Keenan, Adalyn Gauck, Drew Gauley, Hannah Ryan, & Shukuru Budederi
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Keenan, Kenzie; Gauck, Adalyn; Gauley, Drew; Ryan, Hannah; and Budederi, Shukuru, "Mental Health Care Access in Afghanistan" (2025). INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference. 29.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/csbsresearchconf/2025/all/29
Mental Health Care Access in Afghanistan
Individuals in low-income countries have limited to no access to mental health care within their communities. Many clinics have been shut down because of the lack of funding, which makes it difficult for students to find support for their mental health. Afghanistan especially has limited access to mental health care with a lack of qualified professionals, the effects of decades of war, gender-based restrictions, political instability, and overall does not acknowledge mental health as a whole. Due to these challenges and having limited treatment options, around 70% of college students in Afghanistan are experiencing academic struggles, social isolation, depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. However, unlike Afghanistan, other countries have begun to acknowledge mental health. For example, the United States has policies to improve access through federal funding and acts specific to mental healthcare access, but Afghanistan does not. The World Federation for Mental Health is just one non-profit organization that holds World Mental Health Day to advocate for global mental health. This paper aims to advocate for the acknowledgment of issues surrounding mental health in Afghanistan by exploring the discrepancies in access to mental healthcare in the United States.
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